I will give you three seconds to reveal yourself or else…"
Shiing…
Izuna draws his Katana and points it at the small tree in front of him.
"Three."
Izuna readies his blade.
Swish…
A pair of eyes appears on the trunk of the tree as they stare at Izuna in bewilderment.
'How did he manage to locate me? He must be bluffing, right? There is no way, he can see me in this form. No sensory techniques should be able to sense my chakra.'
"Two."
Crackle… crackle…
Lightning crackles on Izuna's blade as it wildly dances on the ground.
Ah… HAh…
Izuna stabs his blade in the ground as lightning seeps into the earth. The lightning spreads through the entire cavern as it paralyzes the nearby vines.
'Wha… what's he trying to do?'
The eye on the tree moves frantically as the figure tries to make sense of Izuna's actions.
'He can see me?! No… he must be bluffing!'
Crackle… crackle…
Soon the entire cavern is filled with purple lightning.
"Looks like you don't have any plan to reveal yourself."
"…"
Slash…
Izuna slashes his blade and chops the tree in half.
Swoosh… BAM…
The upper portion of the tree falls on the ground as it is cleanly slit from the rest of the tree.
Crackle… crackle…
Purple lightning engulfs the tree and withers it away.
"Huh!"
Izuna withdraws his blade as he inspects the tree.
'Strange!… Even though I am unable to sense any chakra signature or any suspicious activity from this tree, but my intuition tells me something else. I felt like a pair of eyes is monitoring me.' Izuna raises his head and looks around.
'Also… thanks to my contract with Roen; I can sense negative emotions around me. It is weaker compared to Kurama's ability; so, I can only sense the presence in this area.'
Swish… swish… swish…
The vines release a barrage of thorns at Izuna.
Hmph…
Izuna waves his hand and releases a barrage of lightning senbons to deflect the attack.
'Secret Technique: Life Concealment'
'Huff… huff… that was a close call. I almost lost my life there.'
A pair of eyes appears on the trunk of the furthest tree. There is a trace of fear in the eyes as they stare at Izuna in trepidation.
'What kind of monster is this guy? Such keen senses!'
Whoosh…
Izuna jumps back and avoids all attacks.
'Still no trace. Huh!'
"Guess… I will try my final resort to sniff him out."
Izuna scrutinizes his surroundings as the feeling of being watched appears again. He continues to monitor his surroundings to search for the culprit.
'Let me see if Sage Mode's sensory abilities work or not.'
Izuna closes his eyes and absorbs Nature energy.
A cyan cloak appears around him as he senses his surroundings.
Hmm…
Izuna inspects the surrounding trees and vines as thick Nature energy permeates in the air.
'These trees are rich in Nature energy. I can't sense any other chakra signature thanks to the dense Nature energy.'
Sigh…
He takes a deep breath and dispels the Sage Mode.
"Guess… I can only resort to brute force method."
Swish… swish…
Izuna slowly makes some hand signs as he raises his head.
"Still not revealing yourself… I see. Don't blame me for the consequences, you forced my hand."
Izuna slams his palm on the ground.
"Lava Release: Molten Catastrophe"
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground trembles violently as a small rift appears in it. Molten lava erupts from the ground as the surrounding temperature rises rapidly.
Crackle… crackle…
Smoke rises from the vines and trees as they catch fire.
Gulp…
The expression of the eyes turns ugly as the intense heat burns his body.
'How powerful?! At this rate, if he completes his jutsu; then I would be severely injured. NO! I can't allow him to complete his jutsu.'
Rumble… Rumble…
The tree uproots itself from the ground as the nearby vines start to shudder.
Rumble… rumble…
The surroundings tree fuses with the tree as its height increases. The vines wrap around the giant tree and form a thorn armor. Purple fluid coats the pointed ends of the thorns as they shine with a deadly hue.
Two giant eyes appear on top of the trunk as the tree morphs into a humanoid form.
'Secret Technique: Heavenly Tree of Punishment'
Whoosh… BAM…
The giant tree monster jumps on top of Izuna in an attempt to crush him.
Whoosh…
Izuna avoids the attack and cancels his jutsu.
'The bait worked. Initially, I wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible; but his weird abilities piqued my interest.
His fighting skills may not be top notch, but his hiding skills sure are. He can even fool the sensory abilities of Sage Mode and Sharingan.'
Izuna raises his head to inspect the giant tree monster attacking him.
"F*!!… It is the Swamp Thing."
Izuna curses loudly as the appearance of the tree reminds him of a character from comics in his past life.
"What the heck!? First! A giant Torterra… now swamp thing… what would be next?!… a blue speedy hedgehog!"
Izuna unsheathes his Katana and slashes it at the giant tree.
"Kenjutsu: Moonlight Slash"
Slash… slash…
He releases a flurry of slashes as the vines and branches of the tree fall apart.
Roar…
The giant tree releases an agony of pain as green liquid drips from its branches.
Drip… drip…
A patch of small grass grows in place of the green liquid.
"What strong vitality!!"
Izuna squints his eyes as he notices the effect of the green liquid.
'I bet Mom would be happy to get this liquid. She won't have to worry about her orchids.'
Swoosh… swoosh…
New branches sprout from the slashed spots as the giant tree raises them to form a giant fist.
Bang…
He slams the fists towards Izuna.
Whoosh…
Izuna dodges the fists as they collide with the ground.
Rumble… Rumble…
Dust and debris rise in the air.
Hmm…
Izuna easily deflects the giant green tree monster as he ponders the possible origin of the tree.
'Is it some sort of mutated plant creature which absorbed large amounts of chakra? Or is it another abandoned lab experiment of that snake Orochimaru? He has been trying to replicate the Wood Release for a while.'
Thwack… thwack…
The giant tree continues to flay its arms around and Izuna nimbly dodges all its attacks.
Gulp…
Sweat appears around the eyes of the tree as they have an ugly expression.
'I can't maintain this form for too long. At this rate, I will exhaust myself and I will be forced to enter in hibernation.'
The giant tree continues to attack wildly as its momentum dies slowly.
'Has it hit its limit?'
Izuna stops and stares at the tree.
"Guess! There is only one way to find out."
Izuna slowly raises his palm as white flames appear in them.
"Inferno Release: Searing Flames"
He manipulates the flames and directs them towards the tree.
Ah!
The giant tree monster feels foreboding as the intense heat of white flames assault it.
Rumble…
The giant tree instantly falls on its knees as it bows before Izuna.
"I… I surrender. So… Please… don't kill me. Please spare my life."
Huh!
Izuna and the group are surprised to see this.
Swoosh…
Izuna makes some hand signs and disperses the flames as he scrutinizes the tree.
"Who are you?!"
Izuna slowly walks in front of the tree as his guard is up.
"I… I…"
The giant tree hesitates to answer.
Izuna confronts the giant tree as his eyes contact the eyes on the trunk.
"I presume… this is not your actual form. Revert to your original form and you might talk your way out of it. Or else, I can only get rid of you."
Izuna threatens the giant tree.
"Yes!!"
The giant tree gulps its saliva as it shrinks rapidly.
Whoosh…
A man with green eyes appears in front of Izuna. The roots, branches, vines, and sprouts withdraw into the man and revert into small seeds.
'Woah! He is tall."
Izuna raises his head to look him in eyes.
'I look a dwarf in front of this man. He is at least seven and a half foot tall.'
The man has long green hairs and there are two green seed-like marks above his brows. He has pale skin, and his arms and legs are skinny.
The man bows in front of Izuna as he introduces himself.
"My name is Kozue and I am a member of the Shinrin clan."
"My name is Kozue and I am a member of the Shinrin clan."
The tall man introduces himself as he warily stares at Izuna.
'Man! This middle-aged guy is so scary. He can even see through my clan's Hiden Techniques.'
Gulp…
Kozue gulps his saliva.
"Hmm… Shinrin Clan?! Never heard of it."
Izuna shakes his head as he has no memory of the clan.
'I have read various records of various clans existing in Shinobi World in Konoha's library. There is no clan with such a name. Either this clan is quite well-hidden, or it is extinct. Perhaps this guy is the only survivor of his clan."
Izuna leans towards the second possibility.
Poof…
Izuna undoes his transformation and returns to his Original appearance.
"Since it has come to this; there is no use of any disguise."
Aah…
Kozue's eyes widen in surprise as he notices the Sharingan.
"Uchiha clan?!… You are a member of the Uchiha Clan!"
"So!" Izuna raises a eyebrow.
"Nothing! Nothing!" Kozue shakes his head.
Hmm…
Izuna turns around as he feels a tug on his sleeve.
"What's the matter, Kimimaro?" He asks Kimimaro.
"Aaa… angel-san! The… the giant turtle is in pain. He is asking for help."
"OH!"
Izuna turns towards Kozue as his expression turns serious. He riles up his chakra as he pressures Kozue.
Gulp…
Kozue gulps his saliva as a hint of terror appears in his eyes.
"Are you the one behind this incident?"
"N… No… it's not me…"
Swoosh… stab…
Before Kozue could finish his sentence; a long Katana pierces through Izuna's body.
AAH!
Izuna's eyes widen in his surprise as the Katana pierces through his heart.
Sizzle… Sizzle…
The Katana releases an eerie purple chakra as it corrodes Izuna's skin.
"Curse Technique: Death Demon Possession Seal"
Bleurgh…
A curse seal appears near Izuna's heart. The seal comprises an inverse triangle with a vertical eye in its center.
HAHA…
"Finally, I fulfilled my mission."
A man cloaked in red clothes appears behind Izuna as he holds the Katana.
Whoosh…
Kimimaro flickers beside the cloaked man as he attacks the man with a dark-gray bone.
BANG…
The man lifts his leg and kicks Kimimaro in the nearby rock wall.
The curse seals crawl over Izuna's chest as it tries to possess him.
Bleurgh…
Izuna spits out another mouthful of blood as he slowly turns towards the attacker.
"You are… who are you?"
HAHA…
The cloaked man removes his red garb to reveal his face.
A bald man in his late fifties appears in their vision. The man has shriveled hands and there is a curse mark on his forehead.
The mark has a similar appearance to the one on Izuna's chest.
"Vi… Village Chief?!"
Fusao's eyes widen in surprise as he notices the old man.
Previously, the appearance of Izuna agitated him a little. But he was able to shrug off the feeling; since everyone in Shangri-La wore a disguise, he being no different. But the appearance of the village chief shocked him to his core.
Drip… drip…
Blood drips from Izuna's chest as the seal restricts his chakra.
Swirl…
The blood slowly flows on the ground as it forms a similar blood seal on the ground.
'I can't use my chakra. This seal is slowly sealing my chakra.'
Izuna has an ugly appearance on his face. The sword stabbing through his heart doesn't bother him much.
He can regenerate from this injury as long as his heart is still in his body. What surprised him more is the sudden appearance of the village chief and the sneak attack while his guard was down.
'Sin! Help me break free from this seal.'
Izuna makes a mental remark to the Sin Seal.
Whoosh…
The sin seal slowly gathers chakra as it prepares to break the seal.
'It will take some time before the seal will break; till then I have to figure out the intention of this old man.'
Haha…
"Finally… I have found a suitable vessel for Kishin-sama. With this, Kishin-sama will be able to break free from his seal and rule over this world."
The village Chief has a fervent expression on his face as he bows in front of Izuna.
"Kishin?!"
Izuna has a confused expression on his face.
Drip… Drip…
Blood continues to drain from his body as the Katana continues to release an ominous chakra in his body. The seal around his chest expands as Izuna slowly losses control of his body.
"Who is this Kishin you speak of?" Izuna weakly questions the bald Village chief.
Hmph…
The village chief snorts as he answers.
"Since you are going to be the new host of Kishin-sama; there is no harm in revealing the facts to you. Anyway, you heretic will die a miserable death…"
"Host to Kishin?!…"
Various questions erupt in Izuna's mind as the gears in his mind churns.
'Is it some sort of Possession?! The Yamanaka clan can also possess someone else's body, but they can only do so for a short amount of time. I wonder what kind of possession this is? I have to dig out some information from this guy as I wait for Sin to dispel the seal.'
Haha…
The bald village chief laughs hysterically as he has a fervent expression on his face.
"Kishin-sama is a God who once descended on this world a millennium ago. Kishin-sama led his army and single-handedly established his one-thousand-year Kingdom. He bought true peace to this world as he reigned supreme over the world…"
Reverence flickers in the village chief's eyes as he continues to bicker his story.
"However, a hated guy who called himself the 'Traveler' appeared out of nowhere and fought against the Lord Kishin. Their battle was legendary as it shook the land and mountain."
'Hmm… Traveler again?! Just who is this guy?! I have heard various tales of this person from the Toads, Slugs, and the snakes. Even the monkey and dogs know about him. Just who is he? Is he similar to Otsutsuki clan members; another cosmic parasite, or he is like that purple-cloaked man.'
Wariness appears in Izuna's eyes.
'Also… this Kishin God and his symbol. It reminds me of the Jashin cultist. Are they somehow related?'
"In the end, that hated guy sealed Kishin-sama in this sword with a very powerful seal. We are descendants of the clan which followed Kishin-sama during the warm, and finally we will set him free as Kishin-sama will once again rise and reestablish his Kingdom."
The village chief finishes his story as he turns to Izuna.
"The seal on the sword weakened over time. Now once Kishin-sama takes possession of your body; he will once again rule the entire world."
Ambition reflects in Village Chief's eyes as he tightly clutches his staff.
Wham…
A surge of purple chakra course through Izuna's body as he feels light-headed.
His vision turns blurry as he gets pulled into his Mindspace.
Huh!
Izuna slowly opens his eyes as a vast expanse of white space appears in front of him.
He turns towards the center of his Mindspace as multiple floating orbs appear in his vision.
"Why am I pulled in my mindscape?"
Izuna warily inspects his surroundings.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Suddenly, the dark ominous chakra invades his mindscape as it slowly covers his mindscape. The dark shade of chakra slowly erodes the white area as it slowly crawls towards the center.
"Is this the so-called possession? Invading the Mindscape of a person and gain control of their body!"
Humph!
"If so… then I won't go down without a fight."
Whoosh… whoosh…
Izuna urges the various orbs floating behind him towards the ominous chakra.
In the outside world,
Swish… whoosh…
The possession seal covers the entire chest area of Izuna and it crawls near the sin seal.
Swoosh…
Various fuinjutsu seals and marking crawls out of the Sin Seal as it resists the invasion of the curse seals.
Whoosh…
A quick, agile figure jumps out of the dust and debris. Kimimaro is in his white snake mode. Green Nature energy flickers around his body.
"Dance of the Clematis: Vine"
Kimimaro pulls his spine and infuse it with Nature energy.
Swirl…
The bones of the spine turn grey and form a long whip.
Smack…
Without wasting any moment, Kimimaro smacks the bone whip towards the village chief.
Whoosh…
The village chief jumps and avoids the attack. He turns towards Kimimaro as his expression turns serious.
"After so much preparations, I was able to lure out the perfect host for Kishin-sama. Too bad, only one of them fell for the bait; the other person didn't show up."
The village chief shakes his head as he laments.
"Kishin-sama would have a spare body if the Leader of the Akatsuki also showed up. Anyway, the body of Izuna Uchiha is fine too. With that being the case… I won't allow anyone to interfere with the ritual of possession."
The Village Chief turns towards Kozue.
"Hold him back for me… or else you know the consequences." He threatens Kozue.
Gulp…
"Yes… yes… Village Chief."
Kozue gulps his saliva and stretches his arms.
"Secret Technique: Vine of Solitude"
Swish…
A dark green vine with spiky thorns sprouts from his palm.
Smack…
Kozue smacks it on the ground and fights against Kimimaro.
··
"I will help too."
Fusao offers assistance to Kimimaro as he draws a pair of Tanto blades.
Hah…
Both of them confront Kozue.
Bam… Clang…
Kozue is able to hold evenly against both of their assault.
Whoosh…
Kimimaro straightens his bone whip as he relentlessly attacks Kozue.
'I believe in Angel-san. He will pull through everything.'
Kimimaro has a resolute expression on his face as he smacks his Bone whip towards Kozue.
Snap…
The bone whip and the vine collide and release a sharp crackling noise.
Whoosh…
Fusao uses this opportunity to land a sneak attack behind Kozue.
Stab…
He stabs his tanto through Kozue's chest.
Swoosh…
Kozue turns towards him and smiles.
"Your skills with assassination are quite good; too bad it won't work against me."
Crack… crack…
A giant hole appears near Kozue's chest as the nearby skin turns into a tree.
Clank…
The sword slides through his chest and falls to the ground.
Swirl…
The hole in his chest closes up as green veins pop out from his skin.
Swoosh…
Kozue's skin turns normal as he continues to beat up Kimimaro and Fusao.
"I am sorry for such cruelty. I didn't intend to harm you, but this is the only way to preserve the heritage of my clan."
Kozue has an unwilling expression on his face as he smacks Kimimaro with his vines.
BAM…
Kimimaro slams into a nearby boulder and pukes out some blood.
Argh…
He slowly stands up and cautiously stares at Kozue.
'I can't allow them to harm Angel-san.'
Haah!!
Kimimaro claps his hands as Nature energy gathers around him.
Whoosh…
He rapidly absorbs an enormous amount of Nature energy and his skin turns white. Various green snakes of Nature energy streaks out of his body as they hiss towards Kozue.
"Ah!"
Kozue is surprised to see the new transformation of Kimimaro as he feels the increase in the fighting spirit of Kimimaro.
"Ten finger Drilling Bullets"
Kimimaro launches a flurry of bone bullets from his fingers towards Kozue. He infuses the bullets with Nature energy to empower his attack.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Kozue barely dodges the attack as he closes the distance.
"Kid! You are quite a powerful shinobi for your age, but too bad your technique doesn't work against me."
Smack…
He smacks Kimimaro with his vines.
BAM…
Kimimaro is sent flying by the attack as the Nature energy around him disperses slightly.
"I am a member of the Shinrin clan. We are the descendants of the Shinju tree and as such, Nature energy attacks don't work against us.
My Kekkei Genkai will just absorb the Nature energy around you."
Kozue continues to push back Kimimaro, who fails to deal a lethal blow to Kozue.
Even when Kimimaro is able to injure Kozue; he just shrugs the attacks and heals the injuries with his tree-like body.
The Village Chief nods his head and turns towards the unconscious villagers being held hostage in a giant vine prison.
"Lord Kishin will soon grace us with his presence. These villagers will be the perfect sacrifice for Kishin-sama."
Inside the Mindscape,
Argh…
Izuna feels a surge of pain in his head as the dark purple ominous chakra continues to invade it.
He clutches his forehead and falls on his knees as he hallucinates.
"Is… is it another genjutsu?"
Izuna feels light-headed as his vision turns blurry. Various incidents of his past and present flood his memories.
In the outside world.
The Fuinjutsu seals from the katana continue to spread throughout Izuna's body, as it occupy two-thirds of his body.
Shoom…
Dark purple chakra rises from Izuna's body and his chakra signature changes drastically.
Inside the Sin Grimoire,
"What's going on?"
Minato feels the ominous chakra flowing through Izuna's body.
"What a sinister chakra? It has been almost a thousand years since I last came across this sinister chakra?"
Kurama's expression turns ugly as he warily stares at the various curse seals on Izuna's body.
"You know about this chakra?"
Minato has a grim expression on his face as he stares at the Fuinjutsu seals on Izuna's body.
"These seals have a resemblance to the seals utilized by the Yamanaka clan."
Minato inspects the seal as he remarks.
"I believe they are some sort of Mind-Body possession seals."
Minato concludes as he is unable to guess the true nature of the seals.
"These are curse seals; not the usual curse seals, but these seals are similar to ritualistic curse seals."
Kushina remarks as she stares at those seals.
"Only a few people in the Uzumaki clan are aware of these seals. Back in the era of Warring States, the Uzumaki clan would receive large numbers of sealing requests from other clans.
There were various cases where many malevolent spirits, demons, or chakra entities would possess a person and take control of their body.
The clan leader would use similar ritualistic seals to seal any evil creature or entity in a medium or talisman."
"Hmm… I came across such a record in the confidential files of the Hokage Office. It's about a powerful demon sealed somewhere in the Land of Demons." Minato remarks.
"Yes… the Uzumaki clan has a record of it. Kenshiro-sama sealed the powerful demon of Land of Demon. He was unable to kill the demon as it would resurrect again in few years.
So, Kenshiro-sama summoned the Shinigami and sealed the soul of a demon in the Land of Demon. The body of the demon is sealed in the Land of Swamps.
Later, he passed the sealing techniques to the aristocratic family of the Land of Demon."
Kushina shed some light on the past of the shinobi world.
"Hmm… close enough."
Kurama nods his head.
"This seal is called the Death Demon Possession Seal."
Kurama closes his eyes as he reminisces some old memories.
"During the era of Rikudou Sannin, the Sage fought against several powerful evil creatures. Some of those creatures were from our world, while some were from other worlds. The Sage sealed and killed these evil creatures and lead the humans to an era of peace and prosperity.
However, this era was short-lived. After the death of Sage of Six Paths; various evil entities began to re-emerge."
Kurama slowly opens his eyes as he continues.
"One such evil being was called Jashin… a self-proclaimed God. He spread his evil teachings and his devout followers worshipped him and created a religion in his name.
The followers of Jashin will commit mass-murder and genocide in the name of offerings.
Even the youngest son of Sage has to pay with his life to seal away this evil God."
Kurama shakes his head as he lifts his draw an inverted triangle in a circle on the floor with his nail.
"This is the seal of the Jashinism."
"I… I see."
Minato enters in deep thought as he warily stares at Izuna.
'There are various hidden threats spread throughout the Shinobi World. The schemes and ploys of other villages appear to be of secondary concern compared to threats of such levels."
Inside the Mindscape of Izuna.
The dark ominous chakra shrouds the entire mindscape as it slowly creeps towards the central region.
"F*! At this rate, I will end up being possessed. I have no choice but to use the incomplete Yin-Yang Release Technique."
Clap…
Izuna claps his hands together as a dual Taijitu symbol forms in his palms.
"Yin-Yang Release: Elemental Reversal"
A Taijitu symbol forms around Izuna as he channels the Yin-Yang Release chakra.
Wham…
Before the ominous chakra could invade further, a thin blue barrier locks it.
Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…
Several Fuinjutsu seals appear on the barrier and the barrier shines brightly.
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…
The various orbs floating beside Izuna shine brightly and resonate with the seal as various kanji seals of respective elements appear on them.
Bzzz…
The barrier releases dark-red lightning and disperses the ominous chakra.
Argh…
A shrill scream echoes in the Mindscape as the ominous chakra fades away.
Crack… crack…
The reverse pentagram curse seals below Izuna's feet cracks and shatter into countless bloody fragments.
Bang…
The backlash of the seal sends the village Chief flying.
Shoom…
Various Fuinjutsu seals crawl out of the Sin seal. The seals slowly overpower the curse seals.
Haah…
Izuna opens his eyes.
Shiing…
His eyes change in Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Limbo Hengoku: Body Substitution"
Izuna summons his Limbo clone and switches place with the clone.
Phew…
"That was a close call."
He takes a deep breath and turns towards the village chief.
"I had enough of this shit for the day."
Crack… crack…
He cracks his knuckles and walks towards the baldy.
--
"Shadow Clone Jutsu"
Izuna makes a shadow clone jutsu to help Kimimaro and Fusao with their battle.
'This Tree man has some amazing abilities. It seems like they are related to his Kekkei Genkai.'
Izuna inspects the member of the Shinrin clan as he pummels the village chief.
Bam… bam… bam…
Izuna violently pounds the village chief as his screams echo through the village.
Whoosh…
Bang…
Izuna's shadow clone overpowers Kozue and sends him flying.
'His Kekkei Genkai is similar to Kimimaro. It is based on his physical body and is not chakra related.'
Izuna concludes about the abilities of Kozue.
'His transformation is like Iburi clan members. The Iburi clan members can turn into smoke while he can turn into a tree.'
Izuna licks his lips as he stares at Kozue.
'I am really interested in his Kekkei Genkai. If possible, I want to recruit him. I want to study the difference between his Kekkei Genkai and Wood Release.'
Ugh…
The village chief groans and moans as Izuna continues to bash him.
Crack… crack…
Izuna breaks the bones of the village chief and lifts him in the air. He brings him closer as their eyes meet.
"I have a few questions for you and I only want to hear the truth."
Izuna stares him in the eyes as fear creeps in the Village chief's heart.
'Oye Brat!… Beware of the suicidal techniques of these cult maniacs.'
Kurama warns him.
'I know… I know… You don't have to remind me.'
Izuna nods his head as he has overheard the previous conversation between the trio while he was in his Mindscape.
Ugh…
The village chief struggles in Izuna's grasp.
Bam…
Izuna punches the village chief squarely in his face.
Swoosh…
Various seals crawl out from Izuna's hand and spread over the village chief's body.
"Fuinjutsu: Chakra Suppression Seal"
He seals the village chief's chakra and questions him.
"Tell me… who is this Lord Kishin? What are your goals and why did you specifically target me?"
"I… I won't open my mouth… even if you kill me or torture me. I won't betray Kishin-sama."
The village chief has a stern expression as he refuses to budge.
"I see."
Izuna nods his head in understanding.
"So, you won't open your mouth. Huh! Fine by me. I have plenty of other methods to retrieve the info."
Bam…
He punches the village's chief again.
Ugh…
The village chief pukes a mouthful of blood as the punch badly mangles his face.
"Ugh… Divine Retribution of Lord Kishin will befall on heretics like you. Argh…"
The village chief curses him.
"I had enough of your shit!"
Shiing…
Izuna activates his Mangekyo as it spins rapidly.
"Mind-Body Destruction Jutsu"
Izuna places his palm on the village chief's head to read his memories.
"Hmm… So, this baldy has been manipulating this village since the second Shinobi War. He is a member of the Akuma clan who worships the Evil God, Kishin."
Izuna continues to skim through the memories of the Village Chief.
"Oh!"
A piece of information shocks Izuna as he turns to Kozue, who is suppressed by his clone.
"Kozue?! Right!"
Tch…
Kozue spits some blood and turns towards him.
"Hmm… I have an interesting piece of information which you might like or dislike; depending on your preference."
"Humph… I don't want to hear anything from you."
He snorts.
"So… you don't even want to know about the truth about the extinction of your clan."
Izuna presses on.
"Humph… nice try. The members of My Shinrin clan were peace lovers. We never interfered with the secular world and we peacefully hid in the Land of Forest away from the blood and gore of the Shinobi World.
However, during the start of the Second Shinobi War, a bunch of mercenaries invaded our land. The War has depleted the resources of all villages.
The Land of Forest was well known for its precious medicinal herbs; the other place being the Land of Medicine. However, the Land of Medicine had strong backing, and it was successfully able to resist the foreign invasion. So, these various villages set theirsights on the Land of Forest. They ruthlessly massacred my clan members to harvest the vitality restoring medicine produced from the bodies of the Shinrin clan members."
Kozue's eyes turn bloodshot as he reminisces about his cruel past.
"Those shinobis… They slaughtered my family members. I was the only surviving member of my clan. It was all thanks to the timely arrival of Village Chief who saved my life and helped me fled from the calamity."
Kozue tightly clutches his fists as he hatefully stares at Izuna.
'Damn! This dude is totally and utterly brain-washed.'
Izuna shakes his head.
'Can't blame him. The shinobi world is a cruel place, after all and such cliche stories are far too many to count.'
Izuna remembers his time in Anbu.
'Even during Anbu training; many war orphans from other villages are thoroughly brainwashed. The Anbu feeds them with all kinds of lies and deceit to generate a sense of loyalty and longing in their heart.
It's the same for this guy.'
Bang…
Izuna kicks the village Chief in front of Kozue.
"Why don't you hear the details from the man himself?"
Shiing…
"Kotoamatsukami"
Izuna casts the powerful Mangekyo ability and forces the village chief to reveal the truth.
After a few minutes,
"NOOO!!… It can't be. How is this possible? NOOO!!… this is a lie. You are deceiving me. You are lying to me."
Kozue clutches his forehead as his eyes turn lifeless. He helplessly falls to the ground as his body curls in fear.
"NOO… it's not the truth. Everything is a lie. NOO!!"
Sigh…
Izuna takes a deep breath as hestares at the pathetic condition of Kozue.
"This Baldy orchestrated a sinisterplanand killed all the members of the Shirin clan from the Land of Forest to steal the unfertilized seed of the Shinju tree. He spread the rumors about the healing capabilities of the blood of the Shinrin clan members.
When the shinobis from the other villages invaded; he found an opportunity to steal the chakra seed and fled from the village. On his way out, he came across you and saved you.
It wasn't because of the benevolence of his heart but the need for the blood of Shinrin clan member to activate this chakra seed."
Izuna recalls the story as he stares at Kozue.
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I can't force the truth on you."
He shakes his head.
'In a way, I am doing the same thing this village chief did. The only difference is… I am feeding him the truth to sway his opinion. He could prove to be an asset to the team. His reconnaissance abilities are on par with Zetsu.'
Izuna remembers the ability of Zetsu to travel through the grounds.
Ugh… Argh…
The guttural noise of Village Chief moaning in pain falls in Izuna's ears.
"I have yet to extract the memories of this Akuma Clan and Kishin from you."
Izuna approaches the Village Chief and places his hand on his head to extract the remaining memories.
Ugh… Argh…
The Village Chief resists in pain.
"Your fate is sealed, old man. Why do you resist?"
Swoosh…
The curse seal on the village chief's forehead activates.
Whoosh…
Various strange seals and totems crawl over his entire body as a massive surge of chakra and vitality and rises in the air.
Argh…
The village chief roars in pain as his body dissipates.
"He is about to explode."
Fusao expressions turn ugly as fear creeps into his heart.
"Sigh… in the end, I am about to die no matter what. Death by being sucked dry or death by exploding to dust. There is not much of a difference." Fusao sighs helplessly
"…"
Kimimaro and Izuna silently stare atFusao.
'Is it really necessary to be overly dramatic?… Never mind!"
Izuna shakes his head and focuses hisattention on the lump of chakra gathered around the curse seal.
He briefly analyzes the pattern of the curse seal and memorizes it.
"I guess this is not the end of troubles. Since, I can thwart the plan this time, I can do it again."
BOOOM…
The village chief explodes, releasing a powerful shock wave across the giant turtle's body.
The expression of the turtle turns ugly as it senses the massive surge of energy on its back.
'I entrusted this human to relieve me from my pain; why is he hell-bent on relieving me from life?'
"Kamui"
Swirl… whoosh…
A swirling portal opens near the explosion and pulls the entire force of the explosion into another dimension.
Whoosh…
Peace and calmness return to surroundings as the portal closes.
'Well, it was a dramatic end.'
"With that out of the way; let's check on the villagers."
Izuna walks towards the unconscious villagers.
Hmm…
Izuna glances at the villagers.
"All of them are under a genjutsu."
He approaches the villagers and places his hand on their heads to disrupt their chakra.
"This is the same Genjutsu as Fusao."
Bzz…
He zaps the villager and disperses the pollen inside their body.
'Now I really want to recruit this guy. His genjutsu is ingenious; if you don't know the method to dispel it.'
Mmm…
"NAGATO!… NOO…"
A pained grunt attracts his attention. He stands up and walks near the source of the sound.
"KONAN?!… So, she is also under the effect of Genjutsu."
Izuna places his hand on her head to dispel the jutsu.
'Wait! Should I dispel the genjutsu? Technically, she is my enemy and I should capture her."
Izuna ponders for a while.
'Let me ask Minato-san about it.'
Whoosh…
His consciousness enters in the Sin Seal. He spots Minato and Kushina conversing something serious with Kurama.
Ahem…
Izuna clears his throat to get their attention.
Hmm…
Minato and Kushina turn around and notices Izuna.
"Izuna-kun! Thank God you are fine."
Kushina bear hugs him.
Ah…
Izuna struggles for a while but finally relents. He turns towards Minato and asks him.
"Minato-san! I have a question for you."
"Mm… Go on."
Minato nods his head.
"So, it is like this…"
Izuna discloses the identity of Konan and the relevant information about Akatsuki.
"I see… that's a lot to take in."
Minato enters in deep thought.
Sigh…
"So, she is the orphan Jiraiya-Sensei took under his tutelage."
Minato rubs his head.
"Though… they harbor harmful thoughts for Konoha and as a former Hokage I should eliminate them, but I am a dead man. So, I will leave the choice for Jiraiya-Sensei.
Till then, why don't you try to influence their thoughts? You are quite good at convincing others."
Haha…
Kushina chuckles as she hears the last sentence.
"Well…"
Izuna rolls his eyes at Minato's remark.
'My free trial of Talk-No-Jutsu has expired. I can't influence others anymore.'
Izuna shakes his head and turns to Konan.
"I will influence her thoughts with Kotoamatsukami. Though it is not an ideal approach; but it will get the job done."
Shiing…
"Kotoamatsukami"
Izuna places his hand on her forehead and casts the powerful genjutsu to alter her thoughts and induce his suggestion.
Buzz…
He continues to dispel the genjutsu of all other villagers.
"Ugh!"
Konan clasps her forehead in pain as various ideas cycle through her mind.
In this journey, her thoughts were in disarray as the death of Yahiko continues to cycle through her mind.
'Is this the Akatsuki… Yahiko dreamt of?'
Various memories of bloodshed and slaughter freshen in her memory. The members of Akatsuki members plundering other villages in the name of mercenary bounties and killing innocent people erupt in her mind.
'NO! What Yahiko wanted was a peaceful world with no war and bloodshed. He didn't want anyone to become a war orphan and struggle for survival.'
More and more memories of Yahiko's dream and Akatsuki's brutal activities cycles through her mind as both sides start to clash.
"NOOO!!"
Konan feels a splitting headache as he abruptly opens her eyes and sits up.
Haah… Haaah…
Sweat trickles from her forehead as she clutches her forehead. Her vision turns blurry for a second before she retains clarity.
"Where… where am I?"
She looks around as the unfamiliar environment greets her.
"What's going on?"
"Where am I?"
"My son!! Where is my son?"
Various unfamiliar voices echo in her head as she looks around.
The memories of the incident return to her.
"The last thing I remember was… I left the village to meet up with Sasori's spy."
Whoosh…
Konan immediately raises her guard as various paper shurikens, and chakrams float around her.
She warily stares at Izuna.
Hmm…
Izuna senses a hostile gaze on his back. He turns around and notices Konan.
Swoosh…
Izuna disappears from Konan's vision.
'So fast… he is so fast.'
Whoosh…
He reappears behind her. There is a sharp blade placed near her neck.
"If I really wanted to kill you; then I could have done it ages ago."
Whoosh…
Izuna sheathes his Katana and turns around.
"Looks like Jiraiya's teaching fell on deaf ears. The messiah of Jiraiya's prophecy turned out to be a paragon of destruction. An emotionless puppet used by others for their selfish cause."
'Wha… what?!'
A frown appears on Konan's emotionless face as a tint of remorse and guilt appears in her heart as Izuna's words reverberate in her ears.
'An… an emotionless puppet!!… used by others for their selfish cause.'
Konan is lost in a trance as she reflects on her life.
'Why?!…. why can't I deny his words?'
The weak, frail and emotionless image of Nagato bound to the Gedo statue appears in front of her.
Konan slowly lifts her head and stares at the image of Nagato.
"Those eyes…. the eyes of Sage… the eyes of hope and light.
But now… why they are devoid of any love and hope…"
A shiver runs down her spine as the cold, emotionless eyes gaze into her soul.
"… why they so much resentment and hatred for this world?"
Konan mumbles to herself as she struggles to look for an answer.
Izuna ignores her and walks towards the Giant tree.
'The Genjutsu is showing its effect.'
Crunch… crunch…
He steadily walks towards the center of the village and approaches the base of the Giant tree.
"Hmm… this tree is still sucking the vitality of this turtle. Should I try to uproot it?"
Swoosh…
Two giant Susanoo arms appear behind him as the arms grab the trunk of the tree.
The arms of Susanoo apply upward force, and the roots of the tree erupt from the ground.
ROAR…
The giant turtle roars in pain.
Ah…
Izuna surveys the roots of the tree and notices some red veins tightly bound to the roots of the tree.
"These are… these roots… or rather, these veins are directly connected to the heart of this giant turtle. If I pull the tree out; the heart of the turtle would stop functioning."
The Susanoo arms gently place the tree and disperse.
"I have to think of another way to remove this tree. If I forcefully removed it, this turtle will die for sure."
Izuna scrutinizes the top of the tree.
Huh!
He notices a small red fruit at the peak of the tree.
Whoosh…
Izuna flies towards the top and grabs the fruit.
Swoosh…
Instantly large amounts of Nature energy and vitality cycle through his body and rejuvenate him.
"WOW!… Just by touching this fruit, I recovered my chakra. What kind of fruit is this?"
Hmm…
He notices two more small unripe fruits near the only ripe fruit.
"These are Vitality fruits."
Kozue slowly approaches Izuna and remarks.
"Oh!"
Izuna returns to the base of the tree and stands in front of Kozue.
"Looks like you have some idea about this tree. Any clues on how to save this Giant turtle."
"Yes!" Kozue nods his head as he wipes his tears.
"This giant chakra is grown from the chakra seed passed down through our Shinrin Clan.
A millennium ago, the seed of the Senju tree reached out to earth from another world. The seed slowly sprouted and grew into a Shinju tree.
The ancestors of my clan were nomads who would wander the land from one place to another. The King of the land tasked members of my clan to take care of the Shinju tree in exchange for a stable life.
So, the ancestors of my clan settled near the Shinju tree. Slowly, my ancestors grew dependent on the Shinju tree. They would drink the dew from the leaves of the Shinju tree. Cook food from the bark of the Shinju tree.
Slowly… slowly… the physiology of my ancestors changed. This is the blessing of the Shinju tree to our clan, and we are the descendants of the Shinju tree."
Kozue narrates the origin of his clan.
Hmm…
Izuna performs a full body scan of Kozue as a frown appears on his face.
'His body is similar to Zetsu. Though in Zetsu's case, his memories and sense of individuality are wiped clean. Still, his body is almost the same as Zetsu; maybe except for some parts considered unnecessary by a certain someone.'
Izuna stares at the thing dangling between Kozue's legs.
Brr…
A shiver runs down Kozue's spine as a cold sensation crept between his legs.
He hurriedly hugs his body and continues.
"… after the Rabbit Goddess consumed the chakra fruit. The chakra fruit left an empty unfertilized seed. She passed that seed to the caretaker of the Shinju tree; the Shinrin clan…"
"Mm… so mean to say that… this giant tree is the sprout of that hollow chakra seed."
"Yes!"
Kozue nods his head.
'A seed of chakra fruit, huh!... I thought only ten-tails act as the seed of the chakra tree and transform into a Shinju after feeding upon an Otsutsuki.
Maybe there is more to it than meets the eye.'
Izuna turns to Kozue and asks him.
"Will this tree turn into a Shinju in the future?"
'If it can turn in a Shinju, then I can put most of my plans into action.'
"No" Kozue shakes his head.
"This tree can't turn into a Shinju Tree. It contains only a fragment of the power of the Shinju tree. Still, this fruit can bring a person back from death."
"What?!"
Izuna's eyes widen in surprise.
'If it can bring a person from the dead, then it is as good as the outer path of Rinnegan.'
"This tree has absorbed an immense amount of Nature energy and Vitality from this Giant turtle and grew these chakra fruits. These fruits were meant as an offering to the Lord Kishin.
This turtle will die once all three fruits ripen."
Hmm...
Izuna inspects the chakra of the turtle.
'Indeed... the vitality of this turtle is rapidly draining.'
"So, do you have any way to remove this tree without killing the Giant turtle in the process?"
Izuna asks him.
"I can give it a try."
Kozue nods his head and walks towards the giant tree.
Shoom...
Kozue infuses large amounts of chakra in his arm as they turns into a large green vine.
Swoosh...
He slowly inserts the vine into the tree and merges with the tree.
'So that's the Kekkei Genkai of the Shinrin Clan.'
Izuna examines the process.
'He has fused with the giant tree and is now almost non-recognizable from the natural energy of the tree.
His intel-gathering capabilities will be quite useful for the team.'
Whoosh... Swoosh...
The roots of the Giant tree retract slowly as the veins of the Giant turtle turn normal.
After an hour,
Swoosh... whoosh...
The roots of the tree disappear completely and the giant tree shrinks.
Swish...
Kozue jumps out of the trunk of the tree.
Huff... huff...
He breathes heavily with a small chakra seed in his palm.
"I did it."
He takes a deep breath and falls to the ground.
Whoosh...
Izuna flickers near him.
"Are you ok?"
He supports Kozue.
Swoosh...
Izuna infuses a small amount of Nature energy into Kozue's body.
Haah...
Kozue slowly sits up and takes support against a boulder.
"I am alright. I am just mentally and physically exhausted."
Roar...
A giant roar interrupts them.
Kimimaro walks towards them and conveys the message of the Giant turtle.
"The Giant turtle is no longer in pain."
"Well... that's good to hear." Izuna nods his head.
He turns towards the rest of the villagers, who are slowly recuperating from the incident.
"There won't be any Shangri-La Village after this incident. Since most of you are rogue ninjas with huge bounties on their head; it would be difficult for the likes of you all to live peacefully in the outside world."
The expression of Fusao and the rest of the villagers turns ugly as Fusao had earlier recounted the details to them.
Gulp...
One of the middle-aged men gulps his saliva and asks him.
"Then... then where should we go? What should we do?"
Hmm...
Izuna scrutinizes them as he ponders.
'Though I don't have any special connection with this group of people and I would even suffer a huge loss by not handing them over to bounty office.
But what most of them have done has nothing to do with me; so, I am a bit conflicted.'
"Izuna-kun... why don't you send them to one of the smaller villages in the Land of Fire?! These small villages are under the protection of Konoha since Konoha is paid by the Daimyo to secure his land."
Minato suggests him.
"This way... the village can monitor them and even employ them in the future."
"Well... that's not a bad idea."
Izuna nods his head.
Ahem...
Izuna clears his throat to get their attention.
"Since you people have nowhere to stay and live"
After half an hour,
After dealing with the villagers, Izuna turns his attention to Kozue and Kimimaro.
"So, what about you, Kozue? What would you do after this?"
"I... I"
Kozue holds his head as he is lost in thoughts.
"I will visit the remains of my village and after that, I will roam the world to search for a meaning in my life."
He shakes his head as he reminisces about his village.
"I see... If you are fed up with your travels in the future; then you can always come and seek me for a job in the future."
Swoosh...
Izuna takes out a scroll from his pocket and passes it to Kozue.
"Just visit Konoha and hand over this scroll to the guards. Somebody will lead you in."
"Thank you."
Kozue accepts the scroll and slowly walks out of the remains of the village.
'Konan has also left. I had no choice but to manipulate her thoughts. Let's see how things will play out with both of them.'
"Kimimaro! Let's say goodbye to this giant turtle."
Both of them flicker out of the cavern together with the villagers.
Roar...
"You have my gratitude, human."
The Giant turtle thanks him.
"In the future, if you have any need for me. You can just summon me."
The giant turtle spits out a summoning contract in front of Izuna.
'Er... I don't think I will need this turtle in any sort of fight.'
"Kimimaro... since you can understand this turtle. Why don't you sign a contract with the turtles? Also, their defensive abilities pair well with your Taijutsu and Kekkei Genkai."
Izuna nudges the summoning scroll to Kimimaro.
"Yes!" Kimimaro nods his head and bit his thumb to sign the summoning contract.
"This trip wasn't the kind I was looking for, but still I got something useful out of it."
Izuna stares at the chakra fruits in his hand. There are two small fruits and one large fruit in his hands.
"With this out of the way, let's return to the village."
Izuna grabs Kimimaro's shoulder and teleports to the village.
Whoosh...
--
Inside Konohagakure,
Sigh...
Tsunade takes a deep breath as she rests against the Hokage chair.
"Finally, all the paperwork is over. Shizune... let's visit the hot spring tonight. We will bring Mizukage Mei with us to ease her mood."
"Yes... Tsunade-sama."
Shizune massages Tsunade's shoulders and nods.
Swish...
Tsunade takes out a scroll from the drawer.
"This seal by Izuna is quite handy."
Tsunade opens the scroll.
There is a summoning seal on the scroll with the sealing formula of Flying Thunder God Technique engraved on it.
"This seal can allow a person to summon another person from far away, albeit the summon has to agree and infuse the chakra in his version of seal to teleport here."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
Shizune nods her head.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique is quite hard to master. Besides, the Fourth Hokage, his Raijin Squad, and Izuna; nobody has managed to learn this technique."
"This seal can prove very vital during a war where the information exchange is quite crucial."
Tsunade nods her head.
Sigh...
Tsunade takes another deep breath and gazes out of the window.
Multiple ninja academy students appear in her vision as the kid's practices their Shurikenjutsu skills on targets.
"Konoha suffered a little loss during the attack from Suna and Orochimaru. The future of Konoha is safe for now and I hope Konoha will flourish in the future."
Haah... Haaah...
A small girl with black hairs with a blue tint on end appears in her vision. Her hairs are tied in a ponytail with bangs framing her face. The girl has black eyes. She wears a long-sleeved, high-collared black shirt with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back. Her baggy blue pants flutter in the air as the girl has a serious expression on her face.
There are five shurikens held between her fingers.
Haah...
The girl aims the shurikens at the target and launches them simultaneously.
Whoosh... whoosh... Whoosh...
Clank... clank... clank...
All the shurikens hit the target right in the dead center.
"Amazing! That's quite impressive Ayaka-chan."
The chunnin instructor praises her.
"It's nothing compared to Onii-san, Iruka-sensei."
Ayaka shakes her head and picks up another batch of shurikens.
Sigh...
Iruka sighs helplessly and turns towards the rest of the group.
'Izuna-san is a genius. I was in the same class as him during the academy, yet he graduated just in six months. I am sure he didn't even remember my name.'
Iruka takes another deep breath and instructs another student.
"Tsunade-sama, don't you think it is too early for Ayaka-Chan to enter the academy. It is the era of peace, so the village isn't in a dire need of Ninjas." Shizune questions Tsunade.
"No. it is alright."
Tsunade closes her eyes as Izuna's warning echoes in her ears.
'Tsunade! The Fourth Shinobi War is on the horizon. It will require the collective strength of all nations to deal with the enemy.'
"Ayaka is also a rare genius, like her brother. So, it is not that big of a deal to enroll her in the ninja academy."
Sigh...
"Now I really miss Naruto. It has been a week since that brat left for his mission in the Land of Waves."
Sigh...
"I just want to ditch all this work and drink some booze and gamble."
"…"
Whoosh…
Izuna and Kimimaro teleport on top of the Hokage Office. Izuna jumps down and enters the office through the window.
Eek…
Tsunade is startled to see him jump in front of her.
Ora…
She clenches her fist to punch him.
"Wait… wait!"
Izuna dodges her punch.
"I have something urgent to report."
He dodges another punch from Tsunade.
Humph…
"It better be something urgent. I was taking my beauty nap, and you disrupted it."
"…"
'Sleeping during work! She is slacking as usual.'
Izuna clears his throat and signals Kimimaro.
Swoosh…
Kimimaro jumps down and enters the office.
"Kimimaro… she is the current Hokage of Konoha."
Izuna introduces Tsunade.
"It's nice to meet you Hokage-sama."
Kimimaro respectfully bows in front of Tsunade.
"He is…?" Tsunade tilts her head in confusion.
"He is a war orphan of Kaguya clan… the last survivor of his clan after the massacre. I met him during the Kiri infiltration mission. After that, I just trained him a little."
Hmm…
Tsunade nods her head. Tsunade and Shizune curiously inspect Kimimaro.
'His skin is so pale. He looks a little anemic.'
Both of them turn towards Izuna and Tsunade glares at him.
"What?!… It is true. I trained him in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. After which I left him in Ryuchi cave where he mastered Sage Mode in one and half years. He is the second youngest Sage after me."
Izuna proudly announces to them.
"What?!"
Tsunade and Shizune looks at Kimimaro with a dumbfounded expression.
"As I thought, everyone around this guy is unusual."
Tsunade shakes her head and stares out of the window. Her gaze stops at the Academy training grounds.
Izuna follows her gaze and notices Ayaka sparring against someone.
Inside the Academy Training grounds,
Iruka leads a batch of academy students in the training ground.
"Today we will learn about the hand-to-hand combat of shinobi. It is a tradition carried out by even the previous Hokage and those before him. They participated in such drills and became stronger through sparring."
"Yes, Iruka Sensei!"
The academy students have stars in their eyes at the mention of the Hokage.
"I will become a strong Kunoichi, just like Tsunade-sama."
One of the girls with two large orange pigtails clenches her fist and raises them in the air.
"Hu… hu…"
Iruka nods his head.
"So… let's start today's sparring session. The first spar would be between Ayaka Uchiha vs…"
"Yes, Sensei!"
Ayaka walks inside the ring and prepares to face her opponent.
A short girl with shoulder-length dark-brown hairs and white eyes walks in front of Ayaka.
"Before you start your spar, both of you make a seal of confrontation to relay your intention to fight. It is a shinobi tradition."
Iruka instructs them.
"Yes, Sensei!"
Ayaka and the Hyuga girl nods their head and make the seal of confrontation.
"Ready…"
Iruka places his arm between them as he signals the start.
"Begin!"
"Haah…"
The Hyuga girl instantly takes a stance and launches a palm attack towards Ayaka.
Whoosh…
Ayaka easily dodges the palm attack and disappears from the Hyuga girl's vision.
"Where is she?"
The Hyuga girl warily searches for Ayaka.
"Behind you…"
Ayaka whispers in her ears and swings her hand.
Ah!…
The Hyuga girl turns around but a palm attack greets her.
"Stop!"
Iruka signals them to stop.
Whoosh…
Ayaka's palm stops in front of Hyuga's face as the Hyuga girl topples on the ground.
"I lost."
The Hyuga girl depressingly drops her head.
"Here!"
Ayaka stretches her arm towards the girl.
Haah…
The Hyuga girl grabs her arm and stands up.
"It was a good match. Both of you fought well."
Iruka's eyebrows twitches slightly as he speak these words.
"Now Ayaka… Hanabi… make the seal of Reconciliation to end the spar."
"Yes, Sensei!"
Both of the girls make the hand seal.
"You are quite good, Hanabi!"
Ayaka praises her.
"If not for my speed, I would have lost the match."
Hmm…
"I won't give up easily. Next time, I will defeat you for sure."
Hanabi resolutely clenches her fists.
"You are my rival. I won't lose easily." Hanabi has a resolute expression as her fighting spirit soars.
Hu… hu…
Iruka nods his head.
"This is the kind of fighting spirit and resolution a shinobi should have to progress further."
He turns to Hanabi to console her.
"Don't worry Hanabi, I am sure you will get stronger till your next spar."
"Yes, Sensei!" Hanabi nods her head, but there is a hint of sadness in her eyes.
'I have been training with my father since I was three years old. How could I lose to her?'
She turns towards Ayaka and questions her.
"Ayaka… how long have you been training in Taijutsu?"
"Oh!"
Ayaka turns around and faces her.
"How long?!"
Ayaka cutely places a finger around her chin as she enters in her thinking pose.
"Hmm… I think it has been almost a month since I started my Taijutsu training. Yes, it has been a month. Before that brother only taught me Shurikenjutsu and some basic Ninjutsu techniques."
"Ah!"
Iruka almost trips on the floor at the mention of basic Ninjutsu.
'This girl can easily use a chunnin level technique without exhausting her chakra reserve and she thinks it is basic Ninjutsu training.'
Iruka gets flashbacks of the Ninjutsu Training where he asked the students to perform any Ninjutsu they might have learned from their parents or clan.
At that time, Ayaka almost burned down the inner training ground with her massive fireball jutsu.
"One… one month?!"
Hanabi suffers a huge blow to her confidence as Ayaka's words echoes in her mind.
'She is so strong after training in Taijutsu for only a month. Father lied to me. He told our Hyuga Taijutsu techniques are one of the elite techniques of the village.'
Sniff… sniff…
Hanabi's eyes tear up as she suffers a blow to her confidence.
"Well…"
Iruka is caught in a weird situation as he can't find any words to console Hanabi.
Sigh…
He sighs and takes a deep breath.
"How should I report this situation to Principal-sama? The Hyuga clan broke their clan custom and allowed the clan heiress to enter the academy to get some experience with the kids of the other clans. But now…"
Sigh…
'Even Izuna san's little sister is a genius like him.'
Iruka could only helplessly shake his head as tries to think of a solution for the current problem.
--
"That's my girl!"
Izuna nods his head as he praises Ayaka.
"Today I will take her to her favorite restaurant in Kirigakure."
"…"
Tsunade and Shizune silently stare at him.
'He is spoiling her too much. That's a sis-con for you.'
Hmm…
Izuna notices their expression and immediately shakes his head.
"No… I am not a sis-con. Look how cute Ayaka is! How can I as a big brother not reward her for her efforts?"
"…"
Tsunade and Shizune silently nod their head.
"Anyway… let's forget about that."
Izuna tries to change the subject. He looks around the village and turns to Tsunade.
"Where are Kakashi and team? I can't see them around. Are they out on a mission or something?"
"Yes! That brat Naruto was pestering me for a C-rank mission as the previous mission to deal with mountain thugs was too easy for him.
So, I assigned an escort mission to him in the Land of Waves."
Tsunade lazily yawns and stretches her back.
"It is so calm without that noisy brat."
"Wait… Land of Waves… escort mission…"
Izuna's expression changes as the memory of Naruto's first mission enters his mind.
"Was the person who issued the mission named Tazuna?"
Hmm…
Tsunade straightens up as she notices the strange expression of Izuna.
"Yes… why?! Is something wrong with him?"
"Fuck! I almost missed it."
Izuna curses loudly as he makes a one-hand sign.
Whoosh…
He disappears from the room as his parting words echo in the Hokage Office.
"I have some urgent work in Land of Waves. I will leave this boy Kimimaro to you."
"Damnit!"
Tsunade bangs the table. The table breaks from the force.
"He is ditching his troubles on me again."
Tsunade angrily turns towards Kimimaro.
Brr…
Kimimaro shivers under Tsunade's angry gaze.
"Fine! Your name is Kimimaro, right?"
"Yes!" Kimimaro weakly nods his head.
"I will arrange a place for you to stay."
Swoosh…
Tsunade signals a nearby anbu to handle Kimimaro's matter.
"Tsunade-sama! The paperwork!"
Shizune points towards the papers spread on the floor. There is a layer of ink spilled over them.
"Damnit! Shizune… Cut it out from his next mission pay."
--